While some Phoenix leaders have objected, the city has said it will let the Satanists pray. City Attorney Brad Holm defended the decision in a statement released Thursday.

"Consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s direction, the city cannot dictate religious viewpoints or the content of a prayer," Holm wrote. "In addition, government may not exclude a denomination or a religion from praying under these circumstances."

But the City Council could have the ultimate say.

Opposition to prayer

Councilmen Sal DiCiccio, Bill Gates, Jim Waring and Michael Nowakowski are pushing a proposal to change how the city schedules the invocation. The plan would let the mayor and council members take turns inviting different religious groups to give the prayer.

Waring said the proposal could prevent the Satanic Temple from turning the council's Feb. 17 meeting into "a circus." The group could still give an invocation at a future meeting, but a council member would have to personally invite them.

"Perhaps some of the intent is to make a mockery of the invocation," Waring said of the Satanists. "I’m just happy that we still have puncher’s chance of prevailing here. At least, we will have a public debate about this."

Temple response

Stu de Haan, a Satanic Temple member who submitted the prayer request, said the group is trying to exercise its rights and ensure minority religious voices are included. He said the group does not believe Satan actually exists and instead views the biblical Satan as a metaphor for rebellion.

"If they open themselves to liability, we will respond appropriately and legally," de Haan said of the councilmen's proposal. “It’s clearly discriminatory and targeted at the Satanic Temple."

Other city leaders have defended the satanists' right to speak under the First Amendment. Mayor Greg Stanton released a statement Thursday saying, "the Constitution demands equal treatment under the law,” even though he disagrees with the group's message.

Holm likened the councilmen's proposal to prayer in Congress, where representatives are occasionally allowed to invite someone from their district to give the invocation. Holm said the proposal wouldn't directly exclude the Satanic Temple.

“I don’t see that following the new procedure would necessarily give them a right to sue because she wouldn’t be prohibited from giving a prayer, she would just have to follow the procedure," Holm said, referring to Michelle Shortt, a temple member expected to give the prayer.

Resident status

But the debate could be moot if it turns out Shortt doesn't actually live in Phoenix.

Holm said the city isn't required to let non-residents give the prayer, referring to a 2014 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

“We don’t have to allow multiple viewpoints from out of our jurisdiction," he said.

De Haan told The Arizona Republic that he and Shortt both live in Tucson, and Shortt's Facebook page also states she lives in Tucson. Holm said the city has received "conflicting" information about where Shortt lives.

The City Council is expected to vote on the issue at its regularly scheduled meeting Wednesday.